, 1887-03-24

means the improvement of the entire
community where the land is situated.
1t means the construction OF roads and
bridges, the building Of school houses,
the maintenance of schools, the sup
port of local government in all its
ramihcations and the general
progress and development OF
the neighborhood wherein the land
is located, upon which these taxes
are levied and collected. In this re-
spect it is great misfortune that SO
large proportion of the lands Of the
territory should remain in the hands
of the government and should con-
tribute nothing towards the creation
and support of these improvements
For thirty-four years the people of this
territory have been obliged to tax
their own little properties for these
purposes, whilst the great bodies OF
land around them, still in the hands
of the government paid nothing to-
wards these expenses. Yet these gov
ernment lands have been made inn
mensely valuable by the labors and
tolls of the early settlers. During all
this period these settlers have been
obliged to build school houses without
aid from the government, although
surrounded by school lands of meal
cuable value, simply because the ter
ritory has not yet been made state.
But aid for the support of schools was
certainly more needed by the sparse
settlements of its earlier years than by
the richer and more populous COM
munities of n later date.
As n matter OF tact, and in Justice
to these early settlers, the government
lands around them should in some way
have been made subject to taxation,
and should have contributed their
quota to the general improve
ment Of the country. Ii wagon road
/ should be built from Seattle to Ellens-
1 burg, across the Cascade mountains,
I all the lands through which the road
| passes are benefited thereby and
I should contribute their equitable pro-
| portion OF the cost OF its construction.
| If the government cannot be compelled
! to pay taxes upon the lands which it
| controls, then the sooner those lands
| pass out Of its hands in accordance
with the principles of equity and legal
| ity, so they may be taxed, the better it
v.
| The present policy of the government,
based upon the idea that the public
lands should be held in trust for future
generations, is not only Il great mis-
take but policy of gross injustice to
the former and present residents OF
the territory. These people were en-
cograged to come here by the govern
ment yet the same government does
nothing to assist them in making the
! improvements necessary ior its devel-
/ opment whilst i'll II territorial condi-
ton, which is the time above all others
when help is needed. The burden Of
making IA bowling wilderness habitable
| falls with double force upon those
whose vim and energy first broke the
way for succeeding generations.
The hardships of the situation arc
/ increased by the refusal of congess to
admit the territory long after the usual
requirements are fulfilled. To add in
suit to injury, we are afflicted with
commissioners of the general land Of
flee in Washington who acts upon the
supposition, and who publishes it to the
world, that The great mass OF the set
tiers in the territories were thieves and
robbers, whose sole aim and desise is
to plunder the government of its lands
and yet those lands, without settle
ment or cultivation or improvement,
are worthless to every interest under
the sun. If the settlement of these
lands is now to be discouraged it
should never have been commenced.
The pioneers of this territory came
here under Il contract, implied, if not
expressed, that they should be treated
at least with fairness and in accoad-
ance with the principles of Justice.
! Under that contract or understanding
the territory should be admitted as
soon as it contains the usual limit OF
wealth and population. That limit
has long since been reached. In their
dealings with the general land Office
they have II right to be treated with
| honesty, decency and civility, where
/ there has been no violation of the
/ land laws OF the United States. But
/ the further discussion of these subjects
/ must he reserved for future papers.
w. +. PROssER.